And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
Parallel translations
- WEB for it was very big. Looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back.
- BSB But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, even though it was extremely large.
- NKJV But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large.
- NASB And looking up, they *noticed that the stone had been rolled away; for it was extremely large.
- NLT But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Looking up, they find the very large stone already rolled back. The barrier is gone before they arrive.
Overview
The obstacle the women feared has been removed, not so Jesus could get out, but so witnesses could see in. Mark notes the stone's great size to emphasize that no human hand had done this. The open tomb is the first sign that something far beyond their expectation has taken place.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Luke 24:2And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
- John 20:1The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
- Matt 28:2–4And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
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Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 16:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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